Naughton



(No Model.) E. E. MQNAUGHTON,

' vCHQJIIE TABLE FOR SOAP BUBBLES.'

Patented Nov. 13, 1894;

Witnesses. Man (522%. file jm fiwgnventor. 7 7 By M W 9% ALMA/$0 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIZA ESTELLE MONAUGHTON, OF PH(ENIX, NEW YORK.

GAME-TABLE FOR SOAP BUBBLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,043, dated November 13, 1894.

Application filed July 1,1893- Serial No. 479,344. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat I, ELIZA ESTELLE Mo- NAUGHTON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Phoenix, in the county of Oswego, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Bubble Game Apparatus, of

. which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved device or game table to be employed in a game in which soap bubbles are used and it will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the game table complete. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the supporting frame in or about line a a, Fig. 3, the. covering being omitted. Fig. 3 represents a plan view, showing the frame work, the covering being omitted.

'The object of my invention is to providean amusing and at the same time an instructive game for children.

In playing with this deviceI preferablyemploy a soap and water compound containing gum for making the soap bubbles, that will last much longer and bear more handling than bubbles made in the usual way, but as this compound is fully describedin an application for patent filed in the Patent Office January 20, 1894, Serial No. 497,486, a further description of the compound is not required here. It will be understood, however, that the device may be used with bubbles of any other suitable composition.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents the top frame of a supportingstand. The legs 2 are made of an X shape, held together by a cross piece 3. The top frame 1 is provided with a rectangular frame 4, which projects up above said frame and is rigidly secured thereto by two cross pieces 5. See Figs. 2 and 3. In the rectangular frame 4, are perforations 6, the object of which will appear farther on. Over the top of thetable is placed a removable woolen woven or felted cloth 7. See Fig. 1. A woolen cloth is used because it is better than any other surface for the purpose. A soap bubble can be rolled over the surface of a woolencloth or felt without injury,

whereas a cotton or linen cloth, unless it has a villous, nappy, or velvety surface, would cause it to break, but any woven or flexible material having downy or velvety surface may be used for the purpose. Woolen or other material having a nappy or velvety surface as described. secures the desired result by supporting the bubbles by the ends of the nap or pile, so that the bubbles do not come in contact with the body of the material, and the bubble does not adhere to the cloth, as is the case with cotton or linen cloth unless such a surface be raised thereon by wear or otherwise. I

The woolen cloth 7 is placed upon the table so that the lower portion surrounding the frame 4 will be concave or in the form of a groove, see Fig. 2, where this groove is shown by dotted lines.

At the top of the frame 4 are secured four rings 9 which are preferably used to increase the difficulty of and mark the progress of the game. These rings 9 are shown as made of wire formed into a circle, or substantially so and bent so that the ends 10 can be put into the perforations 6, shown in Fig. 3, which will hold them securely in an upright position, substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The rings 9 also are covered with woolen cloth or any suitable woven or felted material having a villous or velvety surface which is preferably in the form of a narrow strip around them, substantially as shown; the object being to prevent the bubbles from breaking when they come in contact with them, as in the case of the cover 7.

In using this device the bubbles may be blown and dropped in the space between the rings 9, and piled one on another to make any desired shape for which it may be adapted or in playing a game of any kind for amusement, the bubble may be blown through one of the rings, with a common fan, for instance, 7

and allowed to descend into the hollow space 8, and from thence it may be blown up, by

the fan or in any other way, through another IOO In the drawings, I have shown a suitable table for carrying out this invention but the construction of the supporting frame of the table may be varied, or an inverted tray or supporting base be adapted to be set on a table may be used without changingthe nature of the invention.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the special form of the devices shown for marking the progress of the game,

' but that these devices may be varied within What is claimed isl. A device for playing with bubbles having a base or table provided with a covering of material having a villous surface and consistin g of a raised portion and a concave lower portion, substantially as described.

2. A device for playing with bubbles having a base or table provided with a covering of material having a villous surface and consisting of a raised central portion and a concave lower portion surrounding it, substantially as described. A

3. A device for playing with bubbles having a base or table provided with a covering of material having a villous surface and consisting of a raised central portion, and devices on the raised portion marking the progress of the game and with which the bubbles are liable to come into contact also having a similar covering, substantially as described.

4. A device for playing with bubbles having a base or table provided with a covering of material having a villous surface and consisting of a raised central portion and a concave lower portion surrounding it, and a series of rings secured to the raised portion and having a similar covering, substantially as described.

ELIZA ESTELLE MCNAUGHTON.

Witnsses:

.TAMEs SANGSTER, J. M. CALDWELL. 

